Aliens Underwater
by TubaChick101
Summary: Stand, and stand still, but stand in the right place. The team has been divided, the Justice League struggles to gain the faith of the public, and a misfit born into a superhero family struggles to uncover the secrets of the past and find her own path.
1. Chapter 1

**Aliens Underwater**

**Chapter 1**

_A fifteen year old Garfield looked at the ring that glittered on his sister's finger. Two years ago they were saving the world from alien invasions, and he thought watching his sister grow up and finally tie the knot would be a little easier than this felt. M'gann flittered around the apartment, her lease was about to end and all of her belongings had been packed and sealed in cardboard boxes for her friends to help her move out the next day. _

_Connor would not be included in that group_.

Happy Harbor Beach was no longer a popular hangout for the covert heroes. It was not a safe place to gather and build the team's bond. It was once a place that the young heroes would regularly visit in the summer to swim and relax, or on a cool starry night to go on walks together discussing their home life and hilarious mission mishaps, along with golden moments of accomplishment that were shared.

The first infiltration of Cadmus that liberated Superboy. The rare moments of approval expressed by Batman. The defeat of the Injustice League. The first team-League team up. Wally's exaggerated stories on the trinkets collected. All cherished moments had begun at Mount Justice, and the beach was a nice place to go and think on those things.

Until the explosion. Kaldur's false betrayal. Wally's death. Batgirl's immobility. Segregation among the team that eventually resulted in the creation of the Teen Titans, a group that severed itself from the covert team to hopefully prevent the tension from building up to a level more unbearable than it already was.

The beach had a view of the broken remains of what was once Mount Justice. And for Anne, it was a reminder of a beautiful and broken story that her family refuses to tell.

Anne's bright red hair whipped behind her with the salty breeze in the air. She had hazel eyes, like her mother, and the same deep green skin. She kept her hair shifted to a length so that the red tips fell to her mid-back. Anne visited the beach often, especially since her parents had bought a beachfront condo. It was kind of romantic, the way her mom wanted to stay as close to the water as possible for her dad, but also give her daughter a life on land. Anne's bare feet treaded through the familiar soft sand strip that she had memorized long ago. She always walked near the water, just close enough to barely reach the sea, but just far enough to avoid being touched by the tide.

Her dad has always been perplexed by her. Anne was an "odd little fish", as he liked to say. Half Atlantean, but she strayed from the water. Half Martian, but she refused to shape-shift a pair of gills. She was now thirteen years old, and she didn't learn to swim until she was eleven, despite the encouragement of both her parents. Both her mom and dad found peace and serenity in the sea. Her dad saw the sea as his home, and her mom saw it as a whole new enchanted and beautiful world to explore and experience. But when Anne stood at the edge of the beach and gazed out over the waters and felt the shock of the tide washing over her feet, she felt small, and she saw a chasm of watery oblivion.

Her dad once tried to help her conquer her fear of the water. At seven years old, he took her by the hand and led her into the water, farther and farther onto the sand bar, where the tides collided to her shin, then her knees, then her thighs, until she cried and pleaded to go back. She was scared of the drop off. And she still jumped when her foot touched the seaweed that was hidden beneath the surface of the murky water. And she always called out in fear when her foot sank into a soft area of the sand, something she couldn't anticipate from her view above the surface.

An odd little fish indeed.

_Garfield silently loaded the last of the boxes into the moving van. He did not greet La'gaan when he arrived. He turned away when he leant in to kiss M'gann. He did not make an attempt to crack a joke with Dick, or be cordial and engage in small talk with Kaldur, or pretend to be excited when Artemis giddily discussed the details with his sister._

_He instead mulled over the thoughts that plagued his mind. _

_He had assumed that when you love someone, you wanted to talk about them all the time. You want others to be excited with you. When you love someone, he thought, you want the world to know. He had thought that if M'gann truly loved La'gaan, she would have talked more to him about it. She might've talked about the silly and cute things that he does, or talked about how their dates went. _

_He thought that she might've talked about La'gaan as much as she once talked about Connor._

_Maybe he was too young to know what true love really is._

M'gann stirred the marinara sauce for the spaghetti and glanced at the clock, it was almost 6:30, Anne would be back any second. The cozy life that the condo offered her small (and a little unusual) family a relaxed life. After she graduated high school, she quickly entered a small college and majored in the culinary arts. Her affinity for cooking and bubbly nature actually landed her a spot on the Food Network, but she politely declined. She looked at a picture frame that held the faces of her husband and daughter. She never regretted her decision. She eventually became the cheer coach at Happy Harbor High School, and a two years into her coaching career she was offered a chance to double as the Home Economics teacher.

In the living room, there was a shelf dedicated to the ribbons and trophies that she had earned as a cheerleader in high school. On the shelf below it were pictures of little Anne at seven, eight, and nine standing next to a group of other young girls decked out in skirts and holding pom poms. M'gann had enrolled Anne into community cheer groups to help her learn to tumble, stretch, cartwheel, and learn basic routines. When Anne turned ten, M'gann tried to start helping her explore what she might enjoy. While Anne was a skilled cheerleader, she didn't share the same passion for it as her mom did. Instead, she enjoyed reading science fiction novels and star-gazing. She read articles on astrology and informative books on the human brain.

It was strange, the habits and interests her daughter picked up. But it made Anne happy, which made her happy.

Anne carried her flip flops in her hand and remained barefoot on her walk home. When she neared the end of the beach she casually shape-shifted her skin to the freckled ginger complexion her mom taught her to adapt. The spitting image of her when she was a teenager.

Her mom didn't talk much about her life on Mars, all she ever admitted to Anne was that the civil war between the green and white majorities almost destroyed her life. Her mom's parents? Never spoken of. How she got to earth? Few know. When Anne tries to press for details, M'gann simply laughs and says, "It was definitely no place to raise a family."

Anne spotted a malnourished dog with matted hair crouched in the sand, the dog was lapping up salt-water in attempt to quench its thirst. Its ribcage was visible beneath the brown fur, and it seemed to be a medium sized mutt. No collar, no owner, no hope for survival.

Anne slowly removed the jacket from her arms and knelt on her hands and knees. She reached out a hand and quietly called, "Here boy, c'mere…" The dog's ears perked and he turned to her direction and started wagging his tail. Anne slowly crawled through the sand towards the dog, who curiously (and cautiously) approached her. Anne once again held up her hand for the dog to inspect. He hesitated before sniffing her hand. After a few seconds, Anne slowly reached with her other hand to scratch behind the dogs ears. The brown mutt gladly received the gesture and soon rolled over in hopes of a tummy rub.

Anne smiled, "You're nothing but a big friendly flea-bag. I wonder if you've got a name…" She continued to pet the dog and considered potential names. She knew the second she saw the dog that she would be taking him home. Cocoa was overused on dogs with dark fur. She looked at the dog, then back at the never ending water. She thought of all the dangerous creatures that could float in with the strong tidal waves, the sea urchins, the jelly fish…

She gently tied the arm of her jacket around the mutt's neck as a make-shift leash. "Let's go home, Jelly."

When Anne walked through the front door, she knew her mom would not be happy about the dog. Her mom didn't like to have pets. No cats, no dogs, no birds, no bunnies, not even a fish. No pets were allowed, at all, no exceptions.

Anne removed the arm of the jacket from the dog's neck and walked into the kitchen, and Jelly eagerly followed. Without saying a word to her mom, she reached into the cupboard to fish out a bowl. M'gann looked up from the kitchen table where she was setting out dishes and looked straight at the filthy dog. She turned back to laying out the table and firmly stated, "That thing isn't staying here.", she left no room for discussion.

Anne was about to make room.

"I found him, and he needs to be taken care of, he's sick."

M'gann walked to her daughter as she filled the bowl with water and set it down for Jelly. "That thing could have rabies, or worms, or fleas. It hasn't even had a bath yet and you brought it in the house?"

Anne scratched him behind the ears before reaching for the refrigerator door. "His name is Jelly." M'gann looked to the ceiling for help. She's named the thing. Great…

"And how exactly do you plan on paying for its food? Or shots? Or checkups?" Anne rolled her eyes. "It's not like we spend that much money on unnecessary things. I rarely ask for anything that costs you any money. I shop strictly off of clearance racks and thrift stores, and besides…" She handed Jelly a piece of ham. "Look at his little face! How can you resist that face?"

M'gann begrudgingly looked into the warm brown eyes of Jelly and felt her resolve starting to slip. Then she looked at the pleading gaze of her daughter…

M'gann sighed. "Your dad's not going to be happy about this… Go clean that thing up and get ready for dinner."

"_Dude! You sure make a habit of collecting strays."_

"_Maybe because he's such a stray himself…"_

La'gaan's usual schedule included getting up in the mornings and zeta-ing to Atlantis (or the Watchtower, depending on his assignment), then he usually was able to make it back home by 7. Because of his natural need to be in water, he sometimes had to stretch his time in order to stay healthy and spend enough time with his family.

La'gaan was ecstatic when his wife first told him she was pregnant. But even after 14 years of marriage, M'gann still didn't have any desire for more kids. She had said, "One was enough. Unless you can carry the baby and give birth to him or her yourself, Anne is our only child."

He opened the front door and called out, "Angelfish, I'm home."

He smelled spaghetti and crab cakes. His favorite. He followed the scent to the kitchen where he was greeted by M'gann and hugged by Anne.

Anne went to the table to start dishing out spaghetti onto the plates. "How was it today?"

'It' was usually team activities and developments in their investigation, something that Anne always seemed to be curious about. La'gaan shared a look with M'gann. They had agreed to keep details about the team vague, and brief. While M'gann had helped Anne nurture and develop her powers and abilities growing up, she didn't want her to ever get involved in the covert operations. La'gaan and Uncle Garfield had also helped with combat training, but both hoped that she would never need to use what she'd learned.

La'gaan cleared his throat. "It was good. We learned something new about Luthor's next move."

Anne leaned forward. "Oh really?"

M'gann swallowed a bite. "So, you go to school next month. What classes are you taking?"

Anne deflated slightly. "All advanced core classes, cheer to substitute for P.E. credit, Pre-AP Art I, and Spanish I. What did you find out?"

M'gann didn't miss a beat. "Are there any clubs you'd like to join?" Anne sighed and stared at her spaghetti in defeat. "I haven't decided yet."

M'gann started chatting good-naturedly about her plans for this year's varsity cheer squad. Anne silently chewed her food and didn't look up at her parents. Why don't let ever include her in something that seems to take up such a large part of their lives?

Jelly took that time to trot into the kitchen and set his head on her lap. La'gaan leaned over and started scratching him behind the ears, "Aww, who's this?"

M'gann dropped her fork on her plate with a loud clatter and glared at him. Anne just smirked at her mother. 'Ha.'

M'gann's stern voice rang back into her head. 'Don't even start. Finish your dinner.'

Anne smiled and retold the story of how she found Jelly. She then finished her dinner and put her plaate in the sink. Jelly followed Anne to her room. Anne's room was simple. She had a twin sized bed next to the window on the far side of the room; a nightstand next to it had a lamp and a few books in front of an alarm clock. On the wall closest to the bedroom door were a desk and two book shelves hanging on the wall above. The books were usually about marine biology or ancient Atlantic mystical arts. Those were birthday gifts from her dad. Her mom had also given her two or three books on the Martian language. Over the past year or so, Anne had added some books all about the theories on alien life, theories on alien species other than the ones known to the public.

Anne walked to her vanity mirror and Jelly took a spot on the floor to curl up. Anne stood and stared at her reflection. Slowly, she imagined herself prettier. Like the elegant girls she saw on TV and in magazines. She faded her freckles until they no longer existed, freckles were childish. She critiqued herself now. It was better. Such a simple change and she no longer looked exactly like her mother.

She started to experiment with her skin. A lighter green than what she was taught to adapt. A sea green. She concentrated on her ears and watched them change into fins. She open and closed her fist and felt the skin between her fingers web together. She looked at her reflection and felt her skin part to form gills. There. A face that could maybe make her dad proud of her. He really wanted her to love the water and go visit where he grew up and see the beautiful city of Atlantis, and the magical castles of Poseidonis.

When Anne was eleven, M'gann and La'gaan tried extra hard to help Anne pick up swimming. They enrolled her in community swimming centers, M'gann took her to public pools and tried to encourage her to tread water in the shallow end, La'gaan would stand on the beach and tell her there was nothing in the water to be afraid of. They even enlisted Kaldur to try and teach her to swim and help her conquer her fears.

Anne shifted back to her ginger form. She'll never be what her family wants.

"_I am sorry, M'gann. I have tried my best. But I believe we both know that she cannot learn to love and live in a world she does not belong in."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Aliens Underwater**

**Chapter 2**

"_Fine. Run away and try to hide from the truth. But just know that I will never be okay with this. I won't be okay with… without you."_

"Mom, what was high school like when you were my age?"

M'gann sat on the living room couch next to Anne and was using telekinesis to fold the laundry. Articles of clothing floated through the air and arranged in piles on the love seat nearby. M'gann smiled as she remembered her high school experience. "In short… it was like a sitcom you'd watch on TV."

Anne rolled her eyes, "I'm being serious." M'gann turned to her with raised eyebrows, "So am I. Life was as confusing, fun, ironic, and challenging as it is on TV." Anne stopped folding and smiled widely. "If it really was just like TV, did you have any passionate high school romances that left behind trails of heartbroken boys?"

M'gann's floating laundry slowly floated to the ground and she stared far off into space, replaying the awkward and magical moments she had with Connor. A few seconds went by before Anne's smile started to falter. "Um, mom?"

M'gann stood and all the folded laundry was swiftly put in the bottom of the basket and the unfolded garments were laid on top. "I'll finish the laundry later", M'gann said promptly before whisking out of the room to leave Anne alone in confusion.

_She looked up at the sound of crying and saw a woman about nineteen years old walking in solitaire and swiping at her eyes. She walked on a nearby sidewalk towards the park and slowly took off the ring that was on her left hand. The red-headed onlooker rubbed her swollen stomach and saw some of herself reflected in the stranger and she sighed._

_Sometimes love just isn't enough._

Anne had her red hair back in a ponytail and her organic Martian clothes changed at her will to a basic t-shirt and jeans. She headed down the hall and slung a purse over her shoulder and called out, "I'm leaving now, and I'll be back later!" She opened the front door just in time to hear her friend honk at her.

A dark skinned red head with bright green eyes waved from the driver's seat and called out, "Hey Annie! Check out my new wheels!" Anne had to stifle a laugh. A rickety blue pickup truck wasn't exactly something she'd go bragging about, but Iris West was always a little insane in the membrane.

An Amazonian teenager poked her head out of the passenger window. "I hope you don't mind, but I have shotgun for the trip there."

Donna Troy was beautiful. In Anne's mind, she had the perfect look. Donna was tall and had a slim figure, and her bright blue eyes contrasted her dark black hair. Anne crawled into the back seat and flashed a smile, "No biggie. Hey Iris, try not to hit any mailboxes this time."

Donna laughed while Iris's face turned pink. "That was _one_ time! And I was running late, okay?" She pulled out of the driveway and followed the road while Anne continued, "In what world is it okay to hold a mirror with one hand, put on makeup with the other, and steer with your left knee?" Donna snorted and covered her face while Iris sighed indignantly. "I was not going to risk showing up at school looking like a Sasquatch in front of my cute lab partner."

Donna finally calmed to where she could speak. "Wouldn't it just be easier to run to school?" If Iris could take her eyes off the road she'd be giving Donna the famous 'how-could-you-be-so-stupid?' glare. "If I ran to school I'd have to re-fix my hair. Besides, why run when you can arrive in style?"

Anne pointed below the radio. "So having a car that's so old it has a _tape player_ constitute as 'in style'?" Iris rolled her eyes and waved off the comment. "At least I can listen to the classics." Donna looked at Iris and said, "Didn't your mom only want you driving with one passenger so you didn't get too distracted?" Iris ran her fingers through her hair. "Don't worry, I know exactly where we're going."

Iris turned left at the light and then started to slow. "Um… guys? Does anyone happen to know what road this is?"

Anne sighed and leaned back. It was going to be a long shopping trip.

_The baby was a generic white Martian baby, which wasn't something most would be comfortable holding, much less looking at. She had not reached an age where she would be able to shape shift properly into a human form, but M'gann still wanted her to meet some of her appointed aunts, uncles, and godparents while on her leave of absence._

_She headed to the Watchtower's cafeteria in hopes of seeing some of the girls. Instead, she found Superboy. He looked at her before laying eyes on the baby. "What's her name?"_

_M'gann watched his face carefully. "Anne." Connor looked at Anne and softly smiled, "She's beautiful."_

_That was the last time she ever saw Connor in person._

Donna rubbed her temple. The girls were pulled over on the highway and Anne was comforting a crying Iris. Iris was directionally challenged, to put it nicely. She could never successfully go anywhere based on one run through of directions and she panicked when neither of the girls knew how to point her in the right direction. Iris had just recently turned 16 and hadn't been driving long enough to develop a good sense of where she was.

Anne flipped open her phone and called her mom who guided them off the highway and to the mall. Iris then pulled into a parking place in the north 40 of the north 40. Donna and Anne looked at the distance they'd have to walk just to get to the mall entrance. When they filed out of the car Iris quietly explained, "I don't want to hit any cars."

Anne brushed it off. "Donna, what's it like being on the team?" Iris and Donna looked at each other. Anne was always so eager to know more about their second lives. "It's definitely different than at Themiscara. There we didn't have to worry about the lack of integrity from man." Iris slung an arm around Anne's shoulders. "Don't believe a word she says, the guys on the team are total babes. Donna just doesn't have the right attitude." Donna stiffened. "I'd rather be a prick than someone who'll say 'yes' to whoever asks."

Iris straightened up and glared daggers at Donna. "Are you calling me a whore?"

"I'm saying you don't seem to have standards." Iris gasped and brought a hand to her heart. "I have standards!" Anne grabbed both girls by the arms and turned them to the doors of the mall. "We're here! Where should we go first?"

Two shoe stores, seven department stores, and three ice creams later, (five really since Iris had three all by herself), the girls settled into some chairs at the food court. Iris was talking about how excited she was for junior year at Central High. "…I mean, can you believe it? In two years I'll be a legal adult! It's so exciting, and scary, but mostly exciting."

Anne's eyed widened, "Ew, they're actually going to let you vote?"

Iris crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, smartass. When I become super accomplished and sophisticated in my adulthood, I'm going to enjoy how jealous you'll be."

Donna thought it best to move to a safer topic. "Anne, what are your plans for this year?"

Anne knew her plans. She knew what she wanted to do outside of school. She knew what she wanted to do for the rest of the summer. She knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. She knew what she liked and disliked and she knew what she wanted to explore.

She just didn't know how much of it would be possible without her mother's permission.

Finally, she said. "I want to join the team."

Iris set a hand on Anne's shoulder. "We know you do, but there's a process involved to becoming a member. And it'll be harder since your mom doesn't really want you being a part of it."

Anne shrugged. "There are lots of heroes who led a crime-fighting life without their parent's consent."

Donna looked at her hands. "Yes, but that was their parents, and your mom is… well…" Donna looked to Iris for help. Iris finished her thought, "Your mom has close ties with a lot of important people, and most of them respect her decisions and probably won't be of much help with helping you become inducted into the team."

"Shouldn't they offer membership to anyone who they deem worthy?"

Iris thought back to a room filled with miscellaneous items and pictures, items that were passed down from her dad. "Things are the way they used to be anymore."

_She held up the doll for inspection. The doll's name was Sophie, and she had blue eyes. Anne looked in her little hand held mirror and wondered what she'd look like with beautiful blue eyes. All the beautiful women on TV had blue eyes. Barbie dolls had blue eyes. Baby dolls usually had blue eyes. She looked at Sophie again._

_There was a knock and her mom entered. "Hey sweetie-" _

_The child that turned to face the mother had dark black hair and pale blue eyes. Those eyes pierced into her, while at the same time being wide and innocent. They were too much like-_

"_Anne! What are you doing? Change back now!" Anne's face and hair returned immediately. "What's wrong mommy?" M'gann grabbed Sophia. "Nothing. Go downstairs and say hi to your father. He just got home."_

_The next day, all of Anne's dolls had brown eyes and red hair. Sophie was nowhere to be found._

Anne closed the door of her bedroom and slumped onto her bed. Jelly jumped and put her front paws on the edge of her bed and Anne scratched behind her ears. What was the team like in it's glory days? And how has it changed? And…why?


	3. Chapter 3

**Aliens Underwater**

**Chapter 3 **

_Lay my head, under the water  
Lay my head, under the sea  
Excuse me sir, am I your daughter?  
Won't you take me back, take me back and see?_

Poseidonis is the most beautiful city in all of Atlantis. This was a fact that very few argued against. It was definitely the center of Atlantean culture and history, and many merchants and traders passed through the city as often as they could to catch a glimpse of its beauty.

It held the home of King Orin and Queen Mera, as well as the highest ranked school of mystic arts known as the Conservatory of Sorcery. Many students from other schools would swim for miles to audition for a spot in the Conservatory, and many weren't experienced enough to make it in.

Many of the younger guppies would come with their families and explore the famous historical landmarks, such as the very large library filled with history books and stories of the birth and evolution of Atlantis. Most of these tourists came from the Valley, a more rural part of the Atlantic society. In the Valley were farming residents and workers who grew and cultivated different types of seaweed and red algae commonly used in Atlantean food. In the south parts of the Valley, closer to the Gargoyle border, many mining mills had been manufactured to find rare jewels and rocks, as well as oil, and radioactive substances and crystals that might be used as a natural energy source in the cities.

La'gaan was fortunate enough to be included in the learning process at the Conservatory. He'd mastered the arts and graduated from the Conservatory when Anne was two. Unfortunately, she was not there when La'gaan was recognized for his achievements.

La'gaan had spoken with a handful of the highest ranked Atlantean witchdoctors and healers; he'd even travelled to the Gargoyle Gorge, where the most advanced medical research was held, in search for answers. The Gargoyle Gorge was surrounded by underwater mountain ranges that had submerged long ago, and the mountains grew natural plants and saltwater herbs that were harvested and used in many medicines and healing rituals. Of the thirteen advisors La'gaan had met with, all thirteen had agreed that an Atlantean child that stayed out of the ocean for too long could become extremely sick.

However, they did also say that the beginning stages of dehydration could be delayed due to her Martian physiology. It was all up in the air and completely unpredictable, and La'gaan didn't like it one bit.

_There's not a time, for being younger  
And all my friends, are enemies  
And if I cried unto my mother  
No she wasn't there, she wasn't there for me_

Uncle Garfield's jokes were the worst.

Literally, Anne never knew it was humanly possible for one man to be able to crack such a string of stupid, "punny", corn-ball-y jokes in one hour. It's like he came right out of a cheesy 70's sitcom.

This was routine for Anne. On Sundays, she'd spend about an hour or so following her mom in strengthening and focus exercises to better control and harness her powers, on Wednesdays La'gaan would lead her in the exploration of Atlantean sorcery (maybe if she could be trained in the mystic arts she could find a place in the sea world.), and Saturdays her uncle would be in charge of combat training.

Since Garfield had joined the Teen Titans, he had been the one in charge of training the newer recruits. Growing up with the Superboy and Nightwing as mentors made for a very talented changeling. Besides, with his immaturity, he fit right in with the new kids.

Anne landed on her back and the air was knocked out of her… again. Garfield reached out a hand which had a golden charm ring on his middle finger. Anne took it and stood, acknowledging the ring she said, "Did Zatanna help you with that?"

Garfield's green hair and skin had been replaced with a freckled face and shaggy red hair. He could easily fit in with any other human. Garfield stretched and readied his fighting stance, if it wasn't for the workout, Anne would have interpreted his red face as embarrassment. "It was a gift from a friend."

Without warning, Garfield launched a fist towards Anne; she quickly brought up an arm to block the hit before counter-attacking with a sweeping kick. Gar, of course, jumped backwards before delivering a roundhouse kick that connected and sent Anne sprawling across the floor.

Garfield helped his niece up before scolding, "You're distracted today. You can't fight others while fighting your demons." Anne scratched the palm of her hands and said, "Do you think my mom would let me become a hero?" Garfield stiffened and Anne looked up from her hands with wide, hopeful eyes. He remembered how long it took him to convince his sister he was ready to be on the team. Almost four years, to be exact. The deaths of two team members didn't help his case though. He eventually had to start sneaking out to prove his worth. Garfield forced a smile onto his face. "Well, I don't know about your mom, but if you want to convince her, you need to do your part first."

Anne tilted her head in curiosity. "Like what?" Garfield scrunched up his face in thought and tapped his fingers onto his leg for good measure before drawing out his answer. "Well… you could come up with a name! That's the most important part of your super-hero career. Well, that and the costume. Just don't wear any capes, those are so overrated."

Anne resumed scratching the palm of her hand. "I haven't thought of a name… names can be really hard to think of." Garfield snapped his fingers and poked a finger onto Anne's forehead, "Ah ah ah! _No _negativity! That's rule number one. Rule number two…" Garfield slung an arm around her shoulders and waved his other hand out dramatically, "Find your _inspiration_!"

Anne looked at the open, vastness of empty space that Garfield had gestured to and blinked. "Uh… what?" Uncle Garfield spun her to face him and rested his hands on her shoulders, shaking her with every word spoken to emphasize its importance, "Your _inspiration_! Your _inner warrior_! Your _muse_! Your…"

Pause for dramatic effect…

"…_destiny_!"

Anne drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay… And how do you suppose I should do that?" Garfield straightened, "Simple. We're going to the zoo."

_Don't let me drown, don't let me drown in the waves, oh  
I could be found, I could be what you had saved_

Anne had been to the zoo a few times, but they were usually trips taken with her uncle and mom on rare occasions, and usually they never went to the reptile house. (M'gann had a serious fear of snakes.) But this time, the Reptile House was the first exhibit they went too.

Anne decided she hated the reptile house. She wasn't afraid of the snakes, or the lizards, or even the albino crocodile that lazily blinked at her when she walked by. Instead of being repulsed by the animals in the glass containers, she was instead dealing with the little beasts running and screaming throughout the narrow halls of the building. The lights were dimmed, and the most light came from those set up in the cages, each set to a specific level of intensity depending on the animals needs. Toddlers from ages four to infants and small children around nine were screeching about the sliminess of the snakes, or crying about how scared they were, or tapping and banging on the glass in attempts to coax the snake to face them so they could get a picture.

And the _hissing_! Oh my gosh, the _hissing_ was what drove Anne over the edge. Many of the kids liked to press their faces against the glass and hiss at the snakes, like they actually thought they could communicate with it. Anne scratched the palms of her hands again while her uncle rattled on about the Green Mamba from Africa. "…it's the most feared snake in Africa; it's also the smallest of the mamba family and therefore, is the most poisonous. It can also travel up to seven miles per hour..."

Anne wordlessly moved to the next display where a group of small turtles swam in the water, while some were laid out basking in the warm glow of a lamp set up by the rocks. Garfield looked at the turtles. "Oh, these appear to be babies, they must be the recently hatched sea turtles. They're most likely being held here temporarily before being moved to a larger aquarium-like habitat where they have room to really swim around."

Anne nodded. "They're adorable. Too bad we don't see them often." Her mom couldn't even talk about snakes without fidgeting. Anne looked at her uncle, "You know a lot about animals. Did you ever think about getting a job at a zoo? Maybe as a tour guide or something." Garfield continued on to the display of the chameleon. "I don't know. I mean, I just recently finished studying for my doctorate in veterinary practices. But I still haven't found a clinic that will take me. I guess I could get a major in zoology and see where that leads me, but…"

Anne ignored how he dropped off his sentence and moved on, scratching her hand as she did so. "So, how do I know what my inspiration is?" Garfield beamed at her before opening the exit door of the reptile house. "You'll know."

They stopped at "The Watering Hole" snack bar. Anne looked over the menu while Garfield ordered a large popcorn. "Do you want anything?" Anne started to scratch her hand again before answering, "Just water."

They moved on to the "Caribbean Cove", where a variety of colorful birds and exotic animals fluffed and preened at the attention of over-enthusiastic photographers and visitors. Anne stopped at the Red Macaw and smiled at its bright colors. The red bird turned and stared at Anne a few seconds before spreading its wings and letting out a loud squawk that made Anne jump away. Garfield almost dumped his popcorn onto the ground from laughing so hard.

Anne then decided that the birds wouldn't be any help with finding her inspiration. Anne sipped at her large water bottle while her uncle led her to the monkeys. He went on about his old companion that he had to leave behind in Africa after her Grandma Marie died. Anne looked at the monkeys scratch themselves and search for bugs. "Was she your inspiration?"

Garfield watched a baby monkey wrap its arms around the mother's neck. "Yeah. She was." Anne waited in silence for her uncle to remember his mother before he wordlessly headed towards the marine life aquariums and exhibits.

Anne's steps synced with Garfield's and she questioned, "What can you tell me about the sea turtles?" Garfield recited, almost as if he'd memorized it long ago, "Female sea turtles lay the eggs on the coast, usually after digging a hole in the sand to keep the eggs safe. Then they leave for the ocean and return about every two years or so to lay eggs. The eggs hatch by themselves and naturally know to head towards the ocean. The males spend their whole lives in the sea. These turtles are vegetarian, and they can't retract their head or appendages into their shell."

Anne's eyes widened and she continued to scratch her hands. "Wait, so the mom just abandons them?" Garfield opens the door to the indoor aquarium. "Yup. It teaches the babies to fend for themselves."

Anne bowed her head. "I wish my mom had that kind of faith in me." Garfield shot her a sympathetic look before saying, "It gets better, kid." They passed a variety of different exotic fish, sharks, sea snakes, and there was even a penguin exhibit. At the end of the maze of hallways was a large tank filled with sea turtles swimming around each other and some crawled onto the sand before dipping back into the water. Garfield looked at one of the smaller turtles that stayed close to the drop-off of the artificial sand bar before saying, "Y'know kid, one of the things about these turtles is that when they're born, they don't really have anyone. They don't even know what's going to be waiting for them in the water. They just have to be brave and trust themselves if they're going to have any kind of a life. It's kind of like they challenge themselves to explore what the water has for them."

Anne looked at the lone turtle as it nervously swam towards the group of larger turtles. "Yeah. I think I get it."

_Lay my head, under the water  
Aloud I pray, for calmer seas  
And when I wake from this dream, with chains all around me  
No, I've never been, I've never been free_

Uncle Garfield made sure Anne made it home before he said his goodbyes and left for Titans Tower. M'gann had to go to a teacher's meeting in preparation for the school year and hadn't made it home yet. Anne shifted her organic clothes to a pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt and shifted her hair into a ponytail. She quickly scribbled a note to her mom and patted Jelly on the head before walking to the beach.

Her feet squished and sunk into the burning sand. The sand that baby sea turtles call home. She walked towards the water and stood where the tide ran over her feet. She looked at the horizon where the water went on forever. If she could just swim away from the shore and never stop, she'd hit the open waters of the ocean.

Anne looked back at the path she took to get here from home. 'Would that be such a bad thing?' Anne looked at the water. 'Maybe I have been scared. Maybe I've been stupid.' Anne took a step forward. 'I am a little tired of being cooped up all the time.' Another step. 'I've had very little interaction with humans.' Step. 'I've never gone to school with other human kids.' Step. 'I continue to train without the promise of using it in battle.' Step. 'I'm tired of moving in circles.'

And she was suddenly walking. She first tiptoed and clenched her fists at the feeling of stepping on the small rocks that the tide brought in. Then she walked until she felt her foot up against seaweed (she'll never admit how she squealed and her frantic movements caused water to go everywhere.), she stopped to catch her breath before walking again. The tide made it harder on her legs, and she started to scratch her hands when the water reached her knees. She then started to watch the water beneath her as she took each step. The water reached her thighs. More scratching. Now it's reached her hips. Anne kept her gaze on the water beneath her and stopped when she noticed a color change in the water. Where she stood, the water was a murky blue, and a few strides in front of her the water was a true blue color. She turned and saw how far she had traveled from the shore. The sandy beach was visible, but only slightly. She'd reached the edge of the sandbar.

Anne turned back. If she took three more steps, and dived into the water, she'd officially be separated from the shore. The tide splashed up against her stomach and Anne suddenly became restless. What time was it anyways? How long until her mom got home? Wouldn't she be worried?

Anne scratched her elbow. Her dad would want to be here for this. But even so… 'The baby turtles had to do this without the help of their parents.'

Anne held up her hands to survey the damage. Her hands were red, dry, and flaky, and even after all that scratching, they were still itchy. She looked back at the shore before turning and pushing off into the water.

Mom would be fine.

_No, I've never been, I've never been free  
No, I've never been, I've never been free_


	4. Chapter 4

**Aliens Underwater**

**Chapter 4**

"_There's nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you've been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent." _

― _Dave Barry_

Anne was surrounded by the sea water, and although her eyes remained open, the saltwater didn't irritate her eyes, which she was thankful for. She held her breath as she paddled further from the sandbar, occasionally coming up for air. Okay, maybe she came up for air regularly. She wasn't a very strong swimmer.

After a few minutes of staying close to the surface, Anne shifted some gills onto her neck and dove deeper into the water. The water was murky, and not very crowded with fish. She knew that some people fished on the docks of lake houses, but there was nothing really exciting for her to see below the surface. Anne concentrated on her breathing and tried to focus on her strokes. For Atlanteans who grew up in the water, it was easy for them to go against currents and tides and tread water much smoother, but Anne didn't have a strong core, and her muscles were already starting to ache. Regardless, she could see why her dad liked being in the water so much. It was relaxing.

She finally turned and swam back to the shore. After propelling herself back to the sandbar, Anne trudged onto the shore and ignored her aching body and the sand between her toes. She ran home in her bare feet with her teeth clenched to ignore the chill of the wind. She ran home and ignored how with every other stride her foot would sink into the sand and almost knock her off balance. She started to slow when she saw her house come into view like an island among the sand. Anne ignored how she was still dripping wet and had sandy feet and she instead opened the door.

Anne headed to her room after grabbing a towel from the hall closet. Anne sorted through her drawers and pawed through the container below her bed. She finally found a bottle of lotion and looked at her hands. They'd become extremely flaky and were close to bleeding. The turned on of her arms to view her elbow. Her elbow was equally dry and the skin around it was starting to itch. She quickly squeezed a glob of lotion onto her hand and rubbed it over her arms and hands, she didn't care for the vanilla scent but it was better than nothing. Jelly lazily snoozed at the foot of her bed when Anne stood to cross over to her vanity mirror.

She puckered her lips and cringed at how chapped they were starting to look and she searching for her chapstick. She found her apple scented stick and applied some to her lips before rubbing it in.

She then looked at her calendar. One month before school started. She then looked back at her mirror. What would she call herself if she became a hero? What would she wear? Anne looked at the dog that had started to gain a healthy amount of weight. Jelly was looking much better after having a bath (or two), and M'gann had even started to warm up to him.

Anne looked back at her mirror and shifted into her green skin. Maybe… maybe she should test the waters soon. And she wasn't thinking about the seawater.

_Roy pointed a robotic finger at Aqualad. "If your team has any hope of surviving, you'd do best to cut your losses now and move this entire thing underground." _

_Aqualad countered, "The team already operates covertly."_

_Roy quickly retorted, "Does it?"_

M'gann knocked on Anne's door. "Are you coming for dinner?" Anne continued to shift her clothes into various colors and styles. "Ah, no thanks! I'm not really hungry!" M'gann raised an eyebrow. "Okay… well, let me know if you change your mind."

M'gann headed down the hallway and paused to look at the small puddle of water and sand by the door. She shook her head and continued to the kitchen. She'd clean up La'gaan's mess later.

Anne finally settled on something. Well, she wasn't exactly sure. But this was a trial run. She didn't like how suffocating tights were, so she settled on flare cut dark denim jeans, a dark purple short-sleeved t-shirt that stopped above her belly button and had a red 'X' that covered her torso and back. Anne looked at her hair. She decided to keep it in its ponytail; she didn't need her hair getting in her way. And her eyes…

Anne squinted at her eyes. She wanted them to be… different. Like, alien different. She watched as her hazel human eyes transformed into pure crimson red. She looked at her feet. She wasn't sure about her shoes. She kind of liked being barefoot. Instead, she morphed some dark purple boots make out of flexible material. She looked at herself in the mirror. This could work.

She looked at the clock. It was almost ten. Her parents would be heading to bed soon, and they'd most likely assume that she was sleeping. She turned to her bed and grabbed some of the pillows and arranged them under the covers. Anne was sure that somewhere in the super-hero handbook there was something about preparing for anything, so this should be okay for now.

Jelly stood at Anne's feet expectantly. Anne rubbed his head and whispered, "You stay here."

Anne crept through her window and closed it behind her. She drew in a breath; there was no turning back now.

_Nightwing ran a hand through his hair before stating, "I just thought that if we stopped hiding like some outlaws then we'd stop being treated like them."_

_Batman sighed before responding, "Haven't we always been outlaws?"_

Anne had decided that crime-fighting is super boring. She had already flown through Happy Harbor in camouflage mode and the most interesting thing she'd seen so far tonight was catching sight of a car that was going five miles over the speed limit.

Anne landed softly on the roof of a library and looked at the sky. She'd only been gone for thirty minutes and absolutely nothing had happened. Anne levitated herself higher above where the now collapsed mountain would have reached and looked beyond the city limits. Maybe she should expand her patrol area.

Anne flew farther away from home without a second thought.

She flew through Happy Harbor and headed towards Ivy Town. She had just past the Ivy Town University when she heard a scream. Anne came to a halt and looked below where the source of the scream came from. A girl about seventeen was being backed into an alley by a man holding her at gunpoint. Anne remained in camouflage mode as she headed towards him.

As she neared, she heard the man say, "If you cooperate, then I won't have to hurt you…" He shoved the girl forward and she fell onto her back. Anne quickly landed in front of him and telekinetically yanked the gun from his hand before carelessly tossing it to the side.

Anne stepped forward and revealed herself. The masked mugger stumbled back and barked, "The Martian bitch? What are _you_ doing here?" Anne launched himself at him and delivered a right hook that connected to his jaw with a satisfying _crack_.

Anne's glowing red eyes formed a sharp glare and she calmly retorted, "Miss Martian is unavailable. I'm just filling in." The mugger pulled a pocket knife out of his jacket and flipped it open before swiping it at her face. Anne expertly grabbed his wrist and used his momentum to flip him onto his back.

She twisted his wrist and the knife fell out of his hands before she pinned his arm behind his back and pushed him up against the wall. Police sirens sounded in the distance and Anne saw blue and red lights closing in on them. Anne stood back and levitated the man off of his feet and turned to the shaking girl. "Are you okay?" The teenager stood on wobbling legs and softly said, "I'm fine."

Two police cars pulled over and four policemen exited the cars and approached Anne. She held a hand towards the mugger. "Officers, I think you can handle it from here." Anne dropped the man onto his feet and one of the officers handcuffed him and proceeded to read his rights. A second officer escorted the girl towards the other police car to give a statement. The two remaining officers watched Anne. The Martian girl awkwardly took a step back, "Well, if you don't need anything else I guess I'll just-"

Officer Johnson held up a hand and stopped her from continuing. "Not so fast. We're under orders to question any unidentified hero affiliated with the Justice League. It's recently been added to our standard protocol." Johnson nodded to his partner who raised a clipboard and clicked his open before saying, "We're going to have to ask you a few questions." He then pointed the end of his pen towards her, "What… err… species are you?"

Anne held up her hands, "Whoa, wait, when did this become a thing?" Officer Johnson rolled his eyes at her ignorance before responding, "We're asking all heroes present at crime scenes to cooperate in giving us their basic background information and to state how they are connected with the Justice League. It's to ensure that we document all…" Johnson eyed her green skin. "…foreigners. For the safety of the Earth citizens. You understand, of course…"

Anne placed her hands on her hips. "No, I do not understand. In fact, I am not with the Justice League. I am not a member, and I don't plan on becoming one any time soon."

The second officer scribbled furiously onto his notepad. "So what you're saying is that you're independent?" Anne's eyebrows furrowed. "Well… yes. I mean, I don't work under anyone." Officer Johnson relented and said, "Fine, you're free to go. But just to be sure, we'll need a name to put onto the report."

Anne dropped her hands to her sides before quickly stating, "I go by 'Marine'." Without waiting for a response, she flew away from the officers and headed towards home with more questions than answers.

_The arrogant smirk of G. Gordon Godfrey filled the holographic screen at the Watchtower. He gestured towards a playback of Lex Luthor giving a speech. "And here we see Lex Luthor purposing an Alien Protection Act to ensure the safety of our planet from outside threats. It's about time! We can now rest knowing that we have a representative against the so-called 'heroes'."_

_Superman turned away. He couldn't watch anymore._

Anne groaned and turned towards her clock. It was 9:30 in the morning and her legs and upper back where hurting from her swimming expenditure the night before. Anne propped herself up on her elbows and crept out of bed. She cleared her throat of the grogginess and winced. Her throat was extremely dry and raw. She morphed from her pajamas to her Caucasian skin and a light green sundress before heading to the kitchen.

Anne absentmindedly scratched her elbow and poured herself a glass of water. She acknowledged her dad sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal before downing the water. The Atlantean looked up from his meal to see Anne refilling her glass. "Did you sleep well?" Anne nodded before drinking her second glass of water.

Anne sighed once she'd finished the glass and proceeded to refill it. "How've things been in Atlantis?" La'gaan looked at the table. "Good. The young princess's training is coming along nicely at the Conservatory."

Anne gulped down her fourth cup and paused before asking, "And... the King and Queen?" La'gaan looked at her with sad eyes before softly saying, "As good as could be expected."

Anne refilled her glass and sadly stated, "I wish we could help."

_King Orin gently laid the small sea casket beneath the sea corral and stood back. La'gaan and Kaldur remained silent with their heads bowed and hands clasped behind their backs. They tried to block out the sobs of the Queen. The tides of Mercy Reef continued to rise and fall. King Orin wrapped an arm around his Queen before leading her away from their son at rest._

_The young prince would never be forgotten._


End file.
